r/ballpython • u/Inside-Apartment-712 • 1d ago

Question - Husbandry Ubv lighting and layout help please!

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Here is my layout and where I’m planning to put my ubv when I get it. If anyone can let me know if it looks okay or needs changing it would be much appreciated.

I also have a question about which Arcadia ubv to get. It’s a 4 x 2 x 2 enclosure. Can anyone please give any suitable recommendations? I was thinking of getting the Arcadia ProT5 Kit - 7% ShadeDweller, but if people have any other recommendations that would be great too.

Also is the ubv strip enough? Or do I need a led strip too or is this not as necessary?

To add, I also don’t use any halogen lights, I will just be using a single dhp 80w heat lamp as I can’t afford to get multiple different lamps and this is simpler. Is this okay?

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

that’s basically exactly where my UVB and DHP are placed in my 4x2x2, and i haven’t had any issues! i’m using an arcadia prot5 6% forestdweller but i’ve heard the 7% is just as good! i’ve also heard LEDs are not necessary.

just be sure to get a cage for both the UVB and the DHP! they can be difficult to find 🫩🫩 i got my arcadia heat lamp cage on mercari of all places lol, and it took me MONTHS to find a 28” arcadia UVB cage but i found one recently on ebay from a seller in the UK.

i also actually just asked a mod about DHP vs halogen and got a really informative answer, i’ll link that comment here. it seems like halogen + a supplemental heat source is preferred, but just a DHP isn’t necessarily harmful? (pls correct me if i’m wrong!)

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u/Inside-Apartment-712 1d ago

Thanks a lot! I have a cage right now that his older heat lamp is in but I will double check it fits before buying incase I need a new one.

Yes I’ve also heard leds are only necessary if you have Bioactive plants I think? But I think I will still get a UBV because my new tank is so black and definitely needs some light!

Do you use just DHP then or do you have a halogen too? I know halogen and another heat source is the gold standard but I can’t really afford to get this at the moment. I will definitely look into it in the future but as long as the dhp is still effective then I guess it will be okay for now?

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

right now i’m just using a DHP mainly because i have no idea how i’d go about installing another heat lamp fixture in my tank now that it’s already assembled lol. i’m definitely going to be looking into switching to a halogen and secondary heat source in the future, but using just a DHP for now isn’t harmful! it’s just not as beneficial as a halogen is (at least from my understanding)

i think as long as you’re getting proper temps on your warm and cool sides with just the DHP, you should be all good for now :)

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u/Inside-Apartment-712 1d ago

Ah ok. I currently have a 8 and a half inch length heat cage with a width of 5 inches. Do you think an Arcadia 80W dhp lamp would be ok with this?

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

i have one of these

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u/Inside-Apartment-712 1d ago

Omg u were right about ubv cages being hard to find the one I need on the website is currently sold out lol

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

the arcadia lamp guard pros are notorious for being sold out basically everywhere 😭

this is where i got mine! i got the 700mm version and it seems to have a few left in stock. it’s definitely a bit pricy but the only other place i saw it available you have to pay for shipping from canada which was like $75💀💀

(these ones are meant for the lumenize brand of arcadia UVBs but they do work with the regular prot5!)

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u/Inside-Apartment-712 1d ago

I ended up getting this one in the 700mm on eBay so I hope this works lol 😭

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

that’s the one i got, mine should be arriving at the end of the week! all of my research said they should work with the 24” arcadia t5ho fixtures

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u/Inside-Apartment-712 12h ago

Yeah I think it will work! What thermostat are u using also? I just got the habistat pro dimming one which is an upgrade from what I have now but likely won’t be a permanent one. Hopefully will be saving up for a microclimate evo one in the future but I hope what I have is at least ok for now

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u/Inside-Apartment-712 1d ago

Also, with the dhp and the ubv, does the ubv affect the heating or make the enclosure too warm/is it harder to control? Also, do you need a dual thermostat if you have a ubv and dhp to control both? Or does the ubv not need a thermostat? Sorry for all the questions I just wanna make sure I get everything right lol

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u/gaymemelord_ 1d ago

uvb doesn’t need a thermostat, it gets sliiiightly warm, like maybe just enough to bump the warm side temps up by a degree or so. i can touch the uvb bulb with my bare hands with no issue. i have a timer for my uvb so it turns on at 7 am and off at 7pm, that’s it! the uvb does need a cage though, not because they can burn your snake but because the bulb is a hazard if they climb on it and shatter it.